Introduction:
The youngest Classic the Amstel Gold was first run in 1966 over 305 kilometres,
but the following year the distance was reduced to 250 kilometres and it has
kept that distance till today.

The parcours of 253.1 kilometres, with 31 climbs, the Amstel Gold is a
classic that is more suited to more lightweight riders, with less complicated
roads and not so much cobblestone. But it will have the toughness of a the
Spring Classics type of race and the battle to achieve the victory of the
specialists who have this week marked the race as the main objective on their
schedule.

The 41rst edition does not vary much from previous editions with the toughest
part in the middle of the race, from kilometre 135 to 160, in which 5 hills are
climbed. Here there will be an initial selection and many riders will begin to
get left behind. Only the strongest will keep going until the final climbs, 8 in
the last 40 kilometres, with the final Cauberg wall, 1 kilometre with an 8%
gradient where the favourites will do all they can to shake off their rivals and
raise their arms as they cross the finish line.

Course Changes for 2006However, there was a change in direction of entering the Gulpener
berg, and the ‘Maastricht Round’ has been altered. Instead of riding through the
inner city of Maastricht 75 km before the finish, a shortened loop will combine
old and new Maastricht. The route will follow the F. Romanusweg to the grand
Wilhelminasingel, then going to the modernistic Avenue Ceramique. This is a
beautiful passage for the bystanders of Maastricht and surroundings as well as a
safer passing of Maastricht for the riders and the following caravan. Road
blocks in the centre of Maastricht were the cause of changing the route. There
is one railway crossing in the race this year coming in the first 13.5 kms in
Gileen. Hopefully this presents no trouble coming early in the race when it is
likely no significant break has developed.

The race takes the riders up this hill three times and it was here that
2004's year's winner Davide Rebellin shook off Michael Boogerd, after the
Dutchman has launched his sprint too early on the final uphill.

An all too similar result occurred last year when the leaders group formed at
15 kms and gained 30 seconds on the peloton with Davide Rebellin, Danilo Di
Luca, Oscar Freire and Michael Boogerd amongst them. By the Cauberg on a foggy
day Di Luca attacked the quartet in the final kilometer with only 10seconds on
the hard chasing bunch. The numbers were good for Rabobank that day, but again
Michael Boogerd was denied the victory and finished second to Di Luca that day
in the mists.

Perhaps it will different for Boogie this year and we will see one of the
peloton's broadest smiles on the podium again; Michael has won in 1999 beating
'el jefe,' Lance Armstrong, no less, in the sprint. Lance retired without
winning the race although it was a prime target and a favorite race of his
during his career. The fates deemed that Lance would finish twice at second;
once the aforementioned one in 1999, and again in 2001 with Eric Dekker taking
the win.
Boogerd's record of 4 seconds and one third since 1999 is one that he would like
to to increase to two wins this year.

Former winners Di Luca and Vinokourov won't be present this year as they
focus their preparation on the upcoming Grand Tours. Di Luca last years winner
is focusing all of his preparation on the upcoming Giro and Vino has sites on a
grand performance in le Tour. But the race roster doesn't lack for protagonists
to test the fates to win the Amstel.

Gerolsteiner
Davide Rebellin returns albeit with a fractured rib to lead the water boys in
blue, the Italian who won the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège two
years ago, sustained this fracture when falling in the 4th stage of the Tour of
the Basque Country. “The pain is bearable; I’m going to train on Thursday and
thereafter will have a check-up. If there are no complications, I’ll simply
start on Sunday.” Fabian Weggman has the grinta for this race and if the Cricket
suffers expect that Weggman could be there as in his victory in the last San
Francisco Grand Prix.

Quick Step/Innergetic
Paolo Bettini is the absolute team leader of the Quick Step squad in the Amstel
Gold Race. The Italian king of classic rider has never won the Dutch race,
whereas he has made it his priority for the last few years. Filippo Pozatto will
play a protective role in the team of Patrick Lefevere next to Bettini. The
winner of Milan-Sanremo is convinced that he’s up-to the classic ride of this
weekend. Bram Tankink and Ad Engels account for the Dutch input in this team.

Davitamon/Lotto Davitamon brings its hard men and Classics experienced crew but will
be short Peter Van Petegem out with a broken collar bone after his crash at
Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen. Mario Aerts, Brandt, Dockx, Leon Van Bon and Van
Summeren are all hard men who can make a difference in Amstel Gold. A surprising
turn of events has Chris Horner in Europe in preparation for the tour and the
former Tour of Georgia winner riding Amstel Gold. Horner could be the surprise
of the day; with a course and uphill finish that favors Horner's style.If Chris
makes the crucial selection at the half way point and is in the leaders I expect
to see him in the mix on the Cauberg wall.

Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel fields a team stinging from last weeks shuffle at the finish
of the Paris Roubaix podium. Vladimir Gusev is one who one has to assume would
like a bit of revenge and redemption on Sunday and his obvious good form from
last week can't be discounted to put him at the front of affairs. Supported by a
talented team with Roger Hammond, Bonoit, Van Den Broeck, Stijn Devolder and
countryman Guennadi Mikhailov perhaps the boys in Disco Blue can take home the
race win to team owner Lance Armstrong as part of the vindication for the day.

Rabobank
Oscar Freire has made a good choices in his build-up to the Amstel Gold Race.
Three times world champion Freire comes in good form after winning the 4th stage
in the Tour of the Basque Country. After last years race he will be more
attentive to attacks in the final climb of the Cauberg. Rabobank brings a
Monster of a squad to the race with former winners Boogerd and Eric Dekker the
two who can boast to denying Lance Armstrong in his bid to win the Gold; not to
mention the inestimable talents of the younger Dekker Thomas and Juan Antonio
Fletcha and Joost Posthuma.

Lampre/FonditalAllesandro Ballan has proved a force this spring in animating the early
races and being present in the attacks and finishes. Although team D.S. Fabrizio
Bontempi stated earlier this week that Allesandro won't be aiming for a victory
and only target is Pro Tour points he warrants some attention for chances
at a victory.

T-Mobile
T-Mobile's Mario Kummer ties their chances with a trio of riders who have shown
recent form and an open options to exercise during the race. Sergei Ivanov,
Matthias Kessler and Luxembergs Kim Kirchen will be the lead triumvirate
for the Magenta Team. Time will show if this plan will work favorably in
T-Mobile's efforts tomorrow. If I had to pick two riders of the squad to watch
it would be Klier and Wesemann in a clinch if the the leaders aren't in the
leaders group by the half way point.

CSC Kroon Leads
Former winner in 1997 Bjarne Riis didn't lead this team to number one status
without a few tricks up his sleeve, to follow up Cancelara's victory in Paris
Roubaix last Sunday.
Karston Kroon looks to be the lead rider in an a recent announcement on the CSC
website:
Team CSC’s Karsten Kroon rolls into this weekend´s Amstel Gold Race with eyes on
a victory and something to prove.
The 30-year-old Dutchman wants to show everyone that he deserves star status as
a team leader in the punishing Ardennes classics. Until he caught the eye of
Team CSC manager Bjarne Riis last year, he toiled for bigger names on the
Dutch-sponsored Rabobank team.

“I was looking for opportunities to ride my own races,” Kroon said. “At Team
CSC, I have chances to lead the team and be the captain. I want to pay back the
team for its confidence in me. A win would be an ideal way to do that.”

Kroon certainly has nothing to prove, at least when it comes to his
credentials that include a stage victory at the Tour de France among other
notable placings. Though he doesn’t have that ever-elusive major victory on his
palmares, it could be just a matter of time.
“The Ardennes classics are my favorite races of the year,” he said. “I really
want to win one of them. This year I have reached a new level, so I am very
optimistic.”

Key to Kroon’s new confidence is a move from his longtime team, Rabobank, to
Team CSC, and his subsequent shift from top lieutenant to such stars as Michael
Boogerd and Erik Dekker to above-the-title starring role at Team CSC.

Last year, Kroon said he made contact with Riis to discuss his future. Riis
wanted to bolster the team’s classics program and Kroon was looking for a team
that would believe in his chances.

“Riis told me he wanted me to be the captain for the classics and that was
what I was looking for,” he said.
Kroon said it’s been an eye-opener since switching from Rabobank to the
forward-thinking Team CSC. His first taste came during the famous team-building
camp in December, quickly followed up by intense training camps in January and
February.

“This team is different. The training rides at Rabobank were actually harder.
We used to ride 150-200 kilometers a day. At CSC, we ride less miles but do more
intense work with specific workouts,” he said. “So far it seems to be working.
I’m in the best shape of my career.”

That much is evident as Kroon has already enjoyed a fine spring, including a
second at Brabantse Pijl and eighth in the cut-throat Tour of Flanders. At
Flanders, Kroon just missed bridging out to the winning breakaway, pulling
within 20 meters of the leaders before a strong headwind torpedoed his chances.

He skipped the remainder of the cobblestoned classics in favor of preparation
for the Ardennes races, known for their narrower roads, punishing climbs and
intense pace.
Kroon leads the way as Team CSC reloads following its amazing victory at Paris-Roubaix
last Sunday with Fabian Cancellara. Most of the crew that raced on the cobbles
are taking a break while the Ardennes attract a different kind of rider.

The steeper roads in the Ardennes favor riders who can zip up legendary
climbs such as the Cauberg, the Mur de Huy and La Redoute. Kroon, for example,
tips the scales at a featherweight 67kg while Roubaix champ Cancellara weighed
in at 80kg, a more than 25-pound difference.

Basso to race next week
In addition to Kroon, Team CSC captain Ivan Basso will return to action,
skipping the dangerously narrow roads at Amstel Gold Race in favor of the more
prestigious and challenging races at Flèche Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège
later next week.

Third at Liège in 2002, Basso should never be counted out. Though his major
goals come with the grand tours later this summer, the Giro d’Italia start is
just around the corner and Basso is clearly coming into his best form of the
year.
Team CSC also sees the return of two injured riders. Christian Vande Velde – who
crashed out in Paris-Nice – is pencilled in to start Amstel Gold while Stuart
O´Grady, who crashed out hard in Tirreno-Adriatico, is expected to start the
one-day semi-classic Rund um Koln in Germany on April 17.
Also next week, Team CSC heads back to the United States where an in-form David
Zabriskie will be one of the favorites for overall victory at the Tour de
Georgia, April 18-23.